I slept in this morning! It was delicious.

So, the cloth pad discussion has kept me from telling you about our car shopping antics....Tuesday, dh and I actually went car shopping together...For pretty much the whole day!

We looked at many different cars, a Honda, a couple of Kias, a Toyota Yaris and the Toyota Matrix.  We even found a Matrix that we really were interested in and I was in hard negotiations with the dealer over the price. (And I should point out that we are looking at used cars....We can't afford new cars, especially not new Hondas and Toyotas!)

Now, I should say that I do the car buying in our house.  I love the hunt for the right car and the haggle/dickering over price.  Dh hates all that, so is happy to let me do it.  And, I am good for it because I will not be swayed into buying more car than we can afford.  I have a price in mind and a payment plan too....I won't budge. I never want to be in a position where we have bought more car than we can afford.

So, we found a good deal (which I was haggling to be a better deal) on a Matrix.  I love the car.  Dh likes the fact that it has utility capabilities and we can load lumber and stuff into it. 

That same capability means that we can pack it full o' camping gear.  We also could pull a light trailer with it.  And it's a Toyota....a step up for us in car quality.

After a couple days of haggling (and funny how the "unchangeable" Clearance price started to change each day we walked out of the dealership!) I took the car to our mechanic.  Our mechanic pulled out a handy-dandy tool to check the car.  It measures the depth of the paint....If it is more than factory spec, you know the car has been repainted. And sure enough, the car had been in an accident.  Not only had it been repainted in the front, but in the rear, it had been repainted and packed with Bondo. 

I was disappointed, but glad to hear about it.  Our money is too precious to buy a "broken" car.  So, we took the car back to the dealer. 

(A quick aside here....When the car was in the lot at the dealer, the sun caught the front fender and hood just right and I thought that they were not the same color.  Dh doesn't always see these subtle variation and thinks I am a bit nuts.....I took a good look at the panel, popped the hood etc.  It still had the factory sticker on it, so I thought it was just the light...It didn't occur to me it had been painted over on the original panel.  Anyway, when my mechanic came out and said it had been repainted, I said "Driver's side front?" and he said yes.  So, I guess I have a good eye for that!).

Despite disappointment with the one from the dealer, we are still going to get a Matrix.  Our mechanic said he has been dabbling in the used car business and goes down to auctions to pick up cars and sell them.  He said he could get me a Matrix for $1500 less than what the dealer had on the one I was looking at (which is exaclty how much I was trying to haggle off the price).  And it would be a car hand-picked by my mechanic....It seems like a good way to do it.  Dh and and I have agreed to go this route....But we need to save up a little more money first.  We were counting on the trade in for dh's car ($1,000) and will need to save that up first.  Basically, I know how I want the car to cost (complete with tax, registration and the mechanic's "finders fee") and I know how much I want for a loan.  There's about a $3,000 difference.  We have close to $2000 saved for the car....I am hoping in 4-6 weeks we'll have the difference...And of course, there's always that tax return......Not that we've filed our taxes yet.....

So anyway, that's the car story. We're just in wait-and-save mode.

Okay, so I’d best write a good blog today about Alt. Menstrual Products because I had inquiries yesterday regarding my use of cloth pads.  Evidently, some other folks are interested in trying them, but are not so sure about it and other folks are just plain curious.

I will say that I am quite enthusiastic about cloth pads.  I started using them as I developed sensitivity to disposable pads.  I had finally gotten down to one brand I could use and then they changed their “formula” and I decided to just give up. It was too hard trying to guess what would work and what wouldn’t and really…The resulting irritation from bad brands was just….well…..not in a place that I wanted to be dealing with monthly irritation.  I know, I know, TMI....

I also like the idea of a re-usable product.  I’m not adding to the landfill and in the long run (if I can stop buying and trying different pads!) it is more economical.  And honestly, cloth pads are way more comfortable.

I acknowledge that Alt. Menstrual Products are not everyone’s cup of tea….That’s fine by me…But it works for me and I’ll share how I do it.

I use my pads everywhere, school, work, errands, at home….Okay, okay…not for swimming or biking….I do have a back-up tampon stash for that! (Which means I use about 8 tampons a year).  Swimming I’m sure you understand….Biking=chafing.  ‘Nuf said about that!

The thing that I think is the issue with folks and cloth pads is dealing with soiled pads.  You can’t just throw soiled cloth pads away when you are out of the house and obviously any pads you use need washing.

Here’s how I do it. 

When I am home, I use pads as needed. I keep a soaking bucket in the bathroom tucked in a corner and just drop soiled pads in when I change them. 

When I am out of the house, I have a couple of bags for my pads.

The big purple bag is a PUL wet bag.  The small blue is a cosmetics type bag and the rectangular one is a vinyl pencil case from Walmart. I don’t often use the big purple bag as it is too big, however, it is good for overnighters or for long days at school.  The small blue pouch and the pencil case are my main system.  I put clean pads in the blue pouch and I keep the pencil case in it too.

When I change pads I put the dirty pads (and they fold up nicely into little squares with the soiled side all tucked inside) in the pencil case and put it back in the pouch.  I carry the pouch back and forth to the bathroom, or keep it in my bag that I take to the bathroom with me.

When I get home, I unfold the pads, and drop them in my soaking bucket.  The pencil case being vinyl, I just wash it out and it’s clean.  Before I found the pencil case, I used Ziplocs for transporting soiled pads.

The soaking bucket is the key to my success.  Mine happens to be a compost bucket re-purposed for pad soaking.  I think it is the perfect size.  You can also use an old bean pot, a regular bucket, an old pot, etc.  (Just remember if you have tiny people in your house that buckets of water can be a safety hazard!). When I had my top-load washer, I also used that for soaking…I’d just fill it to a small load on the soak cycle and drop pads in there. (This is the only reason I miss my top-loader!)

I have mixed some laundry detergent and tea tree oil to make a pre-wash detergent (aka Pad Juice) which I squirt into my soaking bucket as I fill it with water.  If so inclined, I also might squirt it right on a pad to treat stains….But I don’t usually worry about that so much as I have darker colored pads.  I figure soaking in a bit of soapy water will help to reduce any possible staining.

So, here’s where it gets “dirty.”  Every day, the water in the bucket needs to be drained off and changed.  I pour mine out into the toilet.  I also don’t let my bucket sit for more than a couple of days before washing the pads (fewer days in the summer when it’s warm) as one time I forgot a bucket full for a couple days at the end of a cycle and it was not pleasant!!!

Also, before washing, I drain off the soaking water. Then, I put the pads in the washer and run a rinse cycle and then I wash them with my regular load of laundry that I have going.

They can be dryer dried, but I usually hang mine as I think it makes them last longer.

I store my pads in the laundry room.  I have some plastic drawers that I keep them in…One for flat folds, one for preferred pads and one for non-preferred pads.

Now, you may notice from yesterday's blog that I have a bazillion pads….Way more than I need  (this is part of that obsession to try different brands…the eternal hunt for the best pad).  The number of pads one might want to have will vary a bit based on personal consumption (how often you need to change pads) and how often you want to wash them and if you line dry, allowing for drying time.

I don’t know if there’s a recommended number of pads, but I think a dozen would be a good starting point.  I’d recommend 7-8 regular pads, 1-2 light days/panty liner pads and 2-3 night pads.  Then as you see what you need and how often you want to wash them, you can add more and customize your stash.

<phew> Was that comprehensive enough?  If you have any questions, please feel free to comment me or email me.  I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.

And for the record...I think the new Moonbow wool backed pads may actually fit the bill as the Perfect Pad! Squee! I love them!!!

Okay....My day is going to be a bit different than planned. Poor NB has a cold and I'm keeping him home today...He sounds and looks miserable.  He got up, showered, laid down on the couch and then just didn't even move.....Very atypical.  Add the raw cough and other symptoms and he's bought himself a day home!   Honestly, I won't mind having the day to spend with him!

K...So I said yesterday that I had gotten something in the mail the other day that had made me squee-happy!  I uploaded pictures to share.

Perhaps I ought to title today's blog Alt. Menstrual Products, as what I got that made me so happy was some new cloth pads!  Only not just any cloth pads, but super soft, velour topped, wool backed Moonbow pads from Etsy that have been hand dyed in fantastic colors! I had been wanting them for months and months and finally caved and bought them....

These are the most expensive pads I have ever bought.  However, I will say they are also the nicest.  The workmanship is fantastic and they are baby blanket soft....The velour is heavenly and even the wool jersey backing is super soft.  They are adequately absorbent (I was skeptical because they are rather trim) and they are now my very favorite pads.

In case you didn't know, I do have a wee bit of an obsession with cloth pads.  (Long time blog readers may recall past cloth pad blogs!).  I have to try new kinds every year or so to see what's out there.  I have learned a lot about what I like and don't like and what works and doesn't work.

My old favorite pads were Lotus Pads of which I have several.  A feature on the Lotus pads that I like is the the fabric is accordion folded on the side and you can peek and see when you need a fresh pad.  They also are very, very soft and comfy and I don't think I have ever had a leak with them.

I also have some pads from an ebay seller that I really like. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the seller posting in a long time.  The pads are trim, absorbent and backed with PUL (waterproofer).  These are also high ranking on my list.

Recently, I have purchased from another ebay seller, Sister Blessing.  Her regular sized pads have insertable liners for custom absorbency.  I like this feature.  I also like the fabrics she uses.  Hers are also PUL backed.  However, the quality on the pads could be better.  Her seams are too close to the edge of the fabric and on some pieces has frayed the fabric. On the liners, it's really a cosmetic issue. But on one of the pads, it frayed on the seam of insert pocket...Not so good.

I also am not so enamored with PUL anymore. Yes, I want leakproof....But I don't find the PUL breathes and well...to be blunt, I find it can create an odor.  I don't get that with unlined pads.

Other pads I have tried are Rhythm and Blues pads.  I loved the tri-fold design of these in terms of washing them clean (The absorbent layer is folded in thirds under the pad)....But the execution was just not so convenient for me and they are very bulky.  I don't  use them at all.  These reside in my car for emergency back-up use. (I couldn't find a link for them, they might not even make them anymore!) Oh yeah, and these are PUL pads too.

Hmmm...What else is in my stash?

These folding pads...Kind of bulky, good for night.....You fold up the sides, flip the pad over and that's it.  It has many layers of absorption!!!  (I can't remember what kind they are.)

Oh yeah....Hag Rags.  I am hesitant to even write about them as I sooooo dislike them, which is too bad because I really wanted to like them.  The Hag Rags have inserts, big chunky pieces of terry that you insert into the pad.  I don't care for them because they are sooo bulky and actually in an uncomfortable sort of way.  Not only that, but even though they have cute patterns (I'm all about aesthetics!) the side that faces up is muslin colored.  At this point in my pad life, I am all about minimal staining.  Light colored pads do not do it for me.  These have been delegated to the car as well.

Remember the Sisterblessing pads from above? I also have some of her panty liners.  These I do really like and use every month.  (The two on the right in the picture below.).  They don't have the seaming problem and are cute...I like the panda ones a lot and the purple ones....Well, I looove purple!

Beside them is a home made panty liner I made.  It is one layer of flannel with a fleece backing.  They work, but they bunch a bit....Not so comfy.

I also have some super bulky pads I made homemade.  I don't care for them so much because of the bulkiness, but they are good for home and night.

And last, but not least I have my flat pads.  When I originally got into cloth pad wearing, I didn't have the shaped kinds of pads. I started by using some of Nature Boy's old flannel burp cloths.  They were rectangular in shape and I just folded then in thirds and was good to go.  That works well for home and I do still use homemade flannel flat folds at home, but for going out I prefer the shaped ones.  Also, the flat folds are ones I often use at night as I can double them.  I also often fold them the long way at night for extra coverage. Sometimes, back-to-basics is just right! 

Hmmm...welll...That turned into quite the flash-your-stash!  Since I am on a roll, tomorrow I will talk about how care and keeping of my pads....Kind of a mini-tutorial.